Speech & Language

Stammering

speech bubbles Stammering, stuttering and dysfluency all mean the same thing - a difficulty with the co-ordination and flow of speech. Syllables, words or phrases may be repeated, sounds may be stretched out or stuck completely for a few seconds before flow resumes.

For many children it is a brief phase lasting a few weeks or months, but for others it can last longer. Stammering often starts between the ages of two and four years, around the time when children are learning lots of new words and sounds. This is also when they have lots of ideas and questions they want to ask. It can start very gradually or appear suddenly, almost overnight. For many children it is highly variable with episodes when it can be very noticeable and others when it is less pronounced.

Around 60% of of children who stammer have a family history. Although stammering can often start around a period of change like starting nursery or a new sibling arriving, these are not the cause. Nobody causes stammering but there are lots of ways to help. 

What Stammering May Look Like:

May repeat sounds, parts of words and whole words, e.g. b-b-b-but; I I I want that.
May prolong sounds, e.g. mmmum.
May block, e.g. no sounds come out.
May have tension in their face, eyes, lips and jaw.
Attempt to manage their breathing.
Look away when their speech is effortful.

Impact of Stammering:

May give shorter responses or choose when to speak based on stammering, e.g. not asking for help or answering class questions.
May miss opportunities to speak in larger groups.
May struggle in situations where there is a set response expected, e.g. the class register.
May choose words which feel easier to say.
May show little awareness of their stammer or may feel frustrated and embarrassed.
May worry about other people’s reactions.

Universal Strategies To Embed

Treat children who stammer the same as you would other children and don’t make assumptions.
Try to make opportunities to speak to them 1-1.
Focus on what the child is saying, rather than how they are saying it.
Don’t interrupt or finish their sentences.
Keep your own speech calm and unhurried and leave pauses to encourage them to do the same.
Encourage good turn-taking within the classroom, to avoid the child feeling rushed or interrupted.
Give plenty of time for the child to answer questions, to avoid them feeling under pressure.
Don’t give direct advice about how to manage their stammer, e.g. it’s not helpful to tell them to ‘hurry up, ‘slow down’ or ‘take a deep breath’ as this can draw attention to a problem and lead to unnatural speech patterns developing.
Give praise – confidence is key to managing stammering well.
Be vigilant about any questioning, commenting or teasing about stammering and offer support.

Who Can Help?

Talk to parents - discuss any concerns with the child’s parent/carer. Find out whether they have any concerns, how they feel about it and whether their child has talked about their stammer at home.

If you’re unsure what to do next, speak to your school SENCO, speech & language lead or give Just One Number a call on 0300 300 0123 to speak to a therapist.

Signing up to the Stammering Awareness Toolkit from Action for Stammering Children allows you to access interactive learning modules and practical classroom strategies and to connect with other schools to share best practices.

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